


In the Blink of an Eye

by Mysticmcknight



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-23
Updated: 2006-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-12 16:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/493467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysticmcknight/pseuds/Mysticmcknight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the moment it takes to blink, is it possible to live an entire life time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Blink of an Eye

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [В мгновение ока](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9844316) by [goldkhator](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldkhator/pseuds/goldkhator)



> The characters belong to Paramount. Again since they are no longer using them I’ve decided to take our boys out of the ‘closet’ and let them play and be happy. Enjoy.

Things were going along quietly as they continued their way through the Delta quadrant, having been out here for over a year now. Some things changed, crew members dying, new allies; though far and few between, and some things didn’t change; such as the feud between Tom Paris and Chakotay. Chakotay still maintained that Tom betrayed him, even if Seska had been proven to be a spy, and Tom maintained that Seska had set him up. 

Janeway knew the Alpha shift needed the best of the best because it took the longest and most troublesome times to fly Voyager, so she put up with the tension so Tom could fly and Chakotay could be by her side for both excellent at what they did. But at times like this, when Chakotay found reason to chew Tom out, technically a legitimate one, but minor in the grand scheme of things, it wore heavily on her nerves. 

“You know, Harry, the Delaney twins said they’d be on the holodeck, tonight. Fancy a game of pool?” Tom asked, blatantly breaking a regulation that he knew would goad Chakotay into action. 

Sure enough, Chakotay didn’t let him down, “Lieutenant Paris, the bridge is not the place to line up your evening of debauchery and gambling,” Chakotay growled, “and unless you want to spend that evening pulling extra duty, I suggest you keep focused on your task at hand.” 

“I don’t see what the difference between me making plans with Harry and you agreeing to meet the Captain for dinner,” Tom pushed. 

“That’s enough, Mr. Paris,” Janeway said, letting the young man know that she too had, had enough and wanted peace. 

“Yes, CAPTAIN,” Tom said, emphasizing who he was listening to, and had a huge smirk on his face as he turned around to face his consol. 

Chakotay was more than furious at the little shit and started to get out of his seat to move behind him, when suddenly, there was a huge blinding flash of light, causing everyone to blink and rub their eyes, and just as fast as it arrived it was gone. 

“What was that?” Janeway demanded, slowly getting the blur out of her vision. 

“I have no idea, Captain,” Harry said. 

“Sensors are not indicating anything,” Tuvok added. “Captain…” he said, and when she looked at him, he gestured behind her and she turned to see Tom and Chakotay standing around, looking dazed and confused. 

“Are you okay gentlemen?” Janeway asked as she got up to check on them. 

“I can’t believe were back?” Tom said in awe. 

“It…it looks the same as we left?” Chakotay added, and then saw Janeway and picked her up in a huge bear hug. “Boy have we missed you,” he said happily, grinning like a loon. 

“HARRY!” Tom said with joy and ran around hugging everyone and then he gave his best friend a great big hug. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Tom said just as happy and relieved. 

“Chakotay….ah…put me down,” Janeway said firmly and was glad to have her dignity back when her feet touched the ground. She fixed her uniform top and looked at both men. “Would you care to tell me what that…this, is all about?” she asked, looking very puzzled. 

“Kathryn, we’ve been gone over thirty years…” Chakotay said as if she should know. 

“But how could we?” Tom asked, Harry have wiggled out of his arms and slowly made his way back down to the bridge portion, his eyes staring at Chakotay. “You…LOOK, the same as the day we arrived on Pacifica,” Tom said, reaching up and caressing Chakotay’s face in a very intimate, and from the lack of hesitation or negative reaction from Chakotay, a familiar gesture

“Look at you,” Chakotay grinned, reaching out and running his fingers through soft blond locks. “My word, were you really this skinny?” he asked, with teasing merriment in his eyes. 

“Gentlemen,” Janeway asked, now more confused then ever. “You didn’t go anywhere. You’ve been here the entire time….” 

“No, Captain, we were transported from here to another planet,” Tom replied. 

“We were the only inhabitants…” he looked at Tom and his eyes grew warm and affectionate. “It took some time, but we made it home.” 

Tom took Chakotay’s right hand in his left and turned to face Janeway, “we lived on that planet, which so looked like the pacific coast, until…well…we were both old…” he stopped and looked at Chakotay, pain and sadness filled his blue eyes. “You got really ill, nothing seemed to help…I…I’m sorry,” Tom said, something unsaid passing between them. 

“I would have done the same,” Chakotay replied and in a surprising move to everyone but Tom, he wrapped Paris in his arms and kissed him lovingly. 

Janeway cleared her throat…several times. “Gentlemen, I need you both to report to Sickbay. Perhaps the EMH will be able to determine what has happened,” Janeway said, the ‘if anything’ was left unspoken. 

**********

“I can’t find anything to indicate they ever left Voyager, Captain,” the EMH said, as he looked annoyed at both the Commander and the Lieutenant, as they both had refused to move to different biobeds. “Though according to their behavior that I’ve observed, they do indicate only having one another for company for a long period of time…meaning they are no longer accustom to the crew, which indicates…” 

“Something happened,” Janeway finished for him, not looking pleased. 

“Yes. I would recommend counseling and sometime to readjust to being…back,” the EMH said, disliking puzzles, or at least ones he couldn’t figure out. 

“Alright,” Janeway nodded. “You can have your choice of Tuvok or the EMH, and the Doctor will arrange for your sessions. You’re both off duty until further notice.” 

“Captain,” Chakotay spoke up. “We understand that you don’t believe us, and while the Doctor was running his tests, we discussed this. To us,” he gestured between himself and Tom, “it was real and what we feel for one another is real so…” 

“We’re moving into Chakotay’s cabin, it’s the bigger of the two,” Tom said, with a, this isn’t a debate, we’re, just being nice in letting you know, kind of tone. 

“Do you think that’s wise?” Janeway asked, knowing how the Marquis thought of Tom and worried that if this was some short-term memory thing, all hell would break lose once it was lifted. 

“We’ve lived an entire lifetime together,” Chakotay replied as if that should be more than enough of an explanation for her. “If for some reason the Spirits are blessing us with another, who are we to say no?” he grinned, looking with the eyes of a man totally devoted at Tom, who looked the same way back at him. 

“I think it’s a bad idea…” Janeway started. 

“We appreciate your…concern, Captain, but we weren’t asking you,” Tom said in a very firm tone, something he wouldn’t have done hours ago. “As far as I’m concerned, Chakotay is my husband and I am his. If this is going to be a problem for you, we’ll be more than glad to leave the ship.” 

“He’s right, Kathryn,” Chakotay said, ever the peacekeeper. “I can’t imagine my life without Tom at my side and I don’t want to start now. We lived, we loved and we died together…it’ll be the same way now,” he said in a gentle but no nonsense tone. 

Not seeing the point in fighting this…thing now, Janeway nodded, “very well,” she said in a tight voice. “You can move in together…for now. But if your relationship effects your duties…” 

“Ah…we might need a refresher course on some of those duties,” Tom interjected, again showing an attitude he didn’t have before. There was still respect, but the lack of military discipline. 

“Yes, I recall some of what I did, but I’m way out of practice,” Chakotay smiled. 

“I’ll…speak with Commander Tuvok about that,” Janeway said and with a look at the EMH nodded and then left, looking very displeased. 

“Do you recall where your quarters are, or should I get someone to show you?” the EMH asked. 

“I remember where they are,” Chakotay replied and looked at Tom who agreed that he did too. 

The EMH then dismissed them and went to write this up, for if nothing else, it would make a hell of a medical entry for the Starfleet Medical Examiner that came out quarterly. At this rate, he could supply them with a full magazine for an entire year. 

*********

“Do you think what happened was…just in our minds?” Tom asked as he placed the last of his things away, looking around the large cabin that now shared both his and Chakotay’s things. Items that were both familiar and strange. 

“I don’t know, pooka, I just know how I feel and what I remember,” Chakotay said as he moved and wrapped Tom up tightly in his arms and laid a tender kiss on his lips. “I remember how we fought, how we made peace over so many issues…” 

“The first time we made love,” Tom grinned like a Cheshire cat. “The first time…we cried together, laughed…” he sighed and laid his head on Chakotay’s strong shoulder. “So…so very much…it couldn’t have been anything but real.” 

“Then it was,” Chakotay said firmly, breathing in the scent of his love, his heart. “Reality is our perception of it anyway. I don’t care if they NEVER find an ounce of evidence to prove what happened or not…I love you, have loved you and WILL love you…forever,” Chakotay vowed. 

“You’re not angry I poisoned us at the end?” Tom asked carefully. 

“Perhaps a little, but only because I love you and would never wish anything bad to happen to you…but…I truly understand. I was dying and you…” 

“Would have been all alone without you…I didn’t want to be without you…ever. Even now…the day you die, I die…” 

Chakotay laid a finger on his lover’s sweet lips. “Don’t say that…at least not yet. Now we’re back, we can possibly have that family we both wanted…and I would want you to be there for them, should I go first, as I KNOW you’d want the same if you did. So…” 

“Okay, if there’s kids, but otherwise…” Tom said firmly, his eyes letting Chakotay know this wasn’t up for debate either. 

Chakotay nodded, grinned ear to ear and kissed his husband. “We have a proper bed, why don’t we make use of it,” he leered. 

“Yes and real lubricant,” Tom said, suddenly excited about what they had again. “And REAL FOOD!” he said and jumped from Chakotay’s arms to the replicator. “Ah…you remember how to operate this?” 

“Ask for what you want,” Chakotay grinned. 

“Grilled cheese, a dozen and one bowl of tomato soup and one bowl of mushroom soup,” Tom ordered and sure enough there it was. Tom didn’t even wait, he grabbed a hot sandwich and ate it in three bites. 

Chakotay laughed hard as he grabbed the tray and took it to the bedroom, placed it on the night stand and then proceeded to take his boots off. “Might want to order some drinks,” he called out as Tom began to follow him into the room. 

Soon enough, both men, were undressed down to their boxers, the meal gone and love made, and were sated in each others arms. Suddenly Tom shivered with a chill born of thought and not cold. 

“What?” Chakotay asked. 

“According to what Janeway said, our entire thirty some years happened in seconds…mere seconds…” 

“Yeah…” 

Tom leaned up on one elbow looking serious at Chakotay. “It means that in an instant things could once again radically change.” 

Chakotay saw Tom’s fear and drew him back into his arms. “We can’t control the universe Tom, just accept what we have. For the moment, I accept that I’m your husband, your mind, I love you, you love me…and we need sleep,” he added evenly. 

“Bastard,” Tom grinned and kissed him. 

“Yes, but you love me for it.” 

“Sadly that is all to true,” Tom sighed in mock suffering. 

They both laid there quietly for a long while. 

“Can’t sleep?” Chakotay asked. 

“No, afraid to close my eyes,” Tom replied honestly.

“It won’t go away,” Chakotay said softly. 

“How do you know?” 

“I just do,” Chakotay yawned, but tightened his grip around his lover. “Besides, if we fell in love once, we’ll do it again, right?” 

“Right,” Tom said after a moment, not knowing if that were true, but it was all he had to hold on to. Besides, if they were really lucky, this next thirty some years would just be a blink of an eye and once more wake up and do it all over again. Tom fell asleep grinning at that thought, for he truly could spend forever with Chakotay by his side. 

THE END


End file.
